LGC 1.1 - Standard Order of Procedure (SOAP)
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Author Topic: LGC 1.1 - Standard Order of Procedure (SOAP)  (Read 599 times)
Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon
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« on: April 30, 2021, 01:50:16 PM »
« edited: May 05, 2021, 11:37:02 AM by Lincoln Speaker Dwarven Dragon »

Be it resolved that the Lincoln General Court adopts the following to govern its proceedings, except when governed by a special rule for a given bill:

Section 1: Proposed Legislation Thread
A. Deputies of the General Court, the Governor, and any concerned Lincoln citizen shall post the full text of any proposed legislation in a response to the Lincoln General Court Legislation Introduction Thread. Each response shall contain only one piece of proposed legislation.

B. Nothing shall be posted to the Lincoln General Court proposed legislation thread except proposed legislation or a Lincoln citizen's signature for proposed citizen legislation.

C: All action taken by the General Court is considered to be Legislation. Items requiring the signature of the Governor shall be additionally categorized as Bills. All legislation regarding the rules of the General Court shall be called the Standing Orders. The Provisions of Section 2F shall be applicable to bills and acts, with section 2E applying to all other legislation.

Section 2: Movement of Legislation to the Floor
A. The Speaker shall keep a thread on the Regional Governments board for introducing legislation. This thread shall be known as the Lincoln General Court Legislation Introduction Thread.

B. The number of threads about legislation that may be opened simultaneously shall be two for each Deputy of the General Court. All Deputies shall be able to use all slots, except as stated in C.

C. The Speaker shall move legislation to these threads in the order in which it was introduced in the Legislation Introduction Thread, except that legislation without a Court sponsor shall be skipped until it obtains one, and that if a sponsor has 2 or more pieces of legislation on the floor, legislation from other sponsors shall take priority until all such other legislation is on the floor.

D. Each piece of legislation on the floor shall receive its own thread. Threads shall be titled as follows:

LGC 1.1: The BLANK Act, where LGC acknowledges the legislation is in the General Court of Lincoln, 1 indicating that the legislation is in the first meeting of the General Court, 1 indicating that the legislation was the first piece of legislation introduced in the Legislation Introduction Thread, and BLANK being replaced with the name of the piece of legislation.

E. If the thread is for a motion to remove the Speaker or appoint a new one, an amendment to modify the SOAP or the Errata, or a special rule providing for special consideration of a given bill, it shall remain open until it either (a) it becomes passed via simple majority vote of the General Court, (b) fails to receive simple majority support from General Court, (c) the Speaker moves to revoke it from the floor, subject to a simple majority vote, or (d) it is removed pursuant to Section 3.J..

F. Otherwise, each thread shall remain open until the bill either (a) becomes law, (b) fails to receive simple majority support from General Court, (c) it is removed pursuant to Section 3.J., or (d) the Speaker moves to revoke it from the floor, subject to a simple majority vote.

Section 3: Legislative Debates and Voting
A. All proposed legislation shall be open for debate for no less than 72 hours after the Speaker places it on the floor, except that a motion to remove the Speaker or appoint a new one shall only be open for debate pursuant to Section 5.

B. During debate, General Court Deputies may suggest amendments to proposed legislation. The Speaker may ignore amendments they deem frivolous or unconstitutional, subject to a simple majority vote to consider said amendment. If no Deputy objects to the amendment within 24 hours, it shall be adopted. Otherwise, a vote on the amendment shall be taken 24 hours after being proposed unless there is less than 24 hours of debate remaining on the bill. If there is less than 24 hours of debate remaining on the bill, a vote on the amendment shall be taken before proceeding to a final vote on the bill. Such vote shall be open for 48 hours, or until all General Court Deputies have voted, if earlier. An amendment shall pass if a simple majority of General Court Deputies vote in favor of it (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes).

C. The sponsor of a proposed amendment may remove it from the floor by tabling it at any time before a vote on the amendment has concluded.

D. After the conclusion of the first 72 hours for debate, any General Court Deputy may call for a vote on said legislation. The Speaker shall open a vote if there is no objection from the Court within 24 hours of the call for a vote. If a General Court Deputy objects to the motion within 24 hours, a vote shall be held on whether or not to proceed to a final vote, with a two thirds simple majority required for the objection to be overruled if the legislation has been on the floor for less than 240 hours; and a simple majority required if the legislation has been on the floor for more than 240 hours. The presentation of a call for a vote shall not impact the ability to dispose of existing amendments, in such cases the Court shall take votes on amendments followed by the final vote if such call for a vote is successful. However, new amendments may not be offered when a final vote motion is pending.

E. At the motion of the Speaker, the General Court may waive the 72 hour requirement by unanimous consent. Consent shall be granted should no Deputy object within 24 hours.

F. Votes on legislation shall last for 48 hours, or until the whole membership has voted, whichever comes first. Only votes cast within the exact 48 hours after the Speaker has opened the vote shall be valid. Any votes cast after the 48 hours has expired are to be considered invalid, and may not be counted by the Speaker. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread. A piece of proposed legislation shall pass if a simple majority of Deputies vote in favour of it (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes). The Speaker shall certify the results of any vote within 24 hours of the end of the voting period.

G. In the event that passed legislation is vetoed, any Deputy may introduce a motion to override within 72 hours. No debate shall be required. An override vote shall last 48 hours, or until all Deputies have voted, if earlier. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread.

H. In the event where all Deputies have missed a vote, the Presiding Officer may exercise one of two options: they may extend the vote for 24 hours (they may do so repeatedly), this shall not require consent to suspend the rules, or they may certify the vote as a failed vote, due to not receiving a single AYE vote. Whichever option the presiding officer chooses may be overridden if 2/3rd's of sitting Deputies objectby objection from a two-thirds absolute majority, in which case the presiding officer must choose the other option. If a sufficient amount of Deputies object to both options, the presiding officer may choose whichever option they desire.

I. In the event that a gubernatorial redraft is sent to the General Court, the Speaker shall open an immediate vote. No debate shall be required. The vote shall last 48 hours, or until all Deputies have voted, if earlier. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread.

J. Any Deputy may remove their sponsorship of a bill at any time. If no Deputy sponsors the bill within 24 hours, the bill shall be removed from the floor.

K. Should there be a case where a second is required to take action, it must occur on this forum and in the same thread as the thing being seconded. If a second is required for a vote to begin, the second required to begin the vote must be made before the vote can begin. A second must be explicitly stated as such.

Section 4: Final Business

A. The General Court shall be dissolved at the start of the general elections.

B. The "Final Business" period of the General Court shall commence 36 hours prior to dissolution of the General Court session and shall end at dissolution.

  i. At the start of Final Business, the Speaker shall declare in all pending legislative threads that Final Business has commenced and the session is nearing its end.

    a. At this time, the Speaker must no longer open new legislative threads.

    b. At this time, the General Court shall not consider new amendment proposals or votes.

   ii. All legislation on the floor of the General Court shall go to a final vote at the start of the final business period, unless either the sponsor of the legislation or an absolute majority of the General Court voices an objection to the vote. Such a vote shall close no later than the time of dissolution. Any legislation left incomplete at the end of a session shall be carried over to the next session.

Section 5: Role of the Speaker
A. The Speaker is the presiding officer of the General Court and is tasked with interpreting and enforcing the Standing Orders as prescribed in this act.

B. At the beginning of each term of the General Court, and at any time when the office is vacant, the first order of business shall be to elect the Speaker. Prior to the election of a Speaker, the most senior Deputy may serve as Acting Speaker for the purposes of electing a Speaker only. If such individual is not available, the Governor may act as Speaker. If the Governor is also unavailable, the next most senior deputy shall preside, and so on and so forth until a deputy able to preside is found. Time served in the 10th Lincoln Council may be used to determine seniority in the 1st General Court.

C. The Presiding Officer shall begin with a nomination period, to last 24 hours, followed by a 48 hour vote between the nominated candidates. The vote may be certified early if all Deputies have voted. Votes may be changed until certification. Write in votes will be allowed. Late votes shall not be counted. The Speaker shall immediately assume office.

D. The General Court may, at any time, remove the Speaker by introducing legislation to do such. The motion shall take precedence over all other business before the Court, and shall only be open to debate at the discretion of the presiding officer. A 48 hour vote, according to the provisions of Section 3, may begin immediately. The Governor will designate a Deputy to preside in the place of the Speaker. The Legislation may designate the new Speaker, or a new one may be elected afterward as detailed above.

Section 6: Rules Dispute

A. The Court may elect to suspend any section of these rules at any time with the consent of two-thirds of sitting Deputies. Such a vote may begin at any time, shall last for 48 hours, and shall not require any debate period beforehand.

B. The presiding officer may unilaterally suspend any section of these rules at any time, unless another Deputy objects. If a Deputy objects, suspending the rules shall require the consent of two-thirds of sitting Deputies.

--- Such objection must be raised within 24 hours. The presiding officer shall have the option to proceed with the effect of the suspension without waiting for an objection, and then turn back if an objection is raised within 24 hours, but if this option is taken, all action taken going back to the moment of the suspension becomes null and void if an objection is raised. The presiding officer may also elect to wait the full 24 hours before proceeding. The suspension must be announced in some form - there does not need to be any specific phrasing, but it must be made clear that some sort of action is being taken that one could stop or alter by the means of objecting within 24 hours.

C. If a Deputy believes that a given action is in violation of the rules, such a Deputy may raise a point of order. This can be done on the thread in which rules are being broken, or on a new thread the Deputy may create. The Presiding Officer shall immediately rule on the point of order. If the point of order is upheld, all action objected to by the point of order shall be null and void. Any Deputy may appeal the ruling within 24 hours by calling for an immediate vote on it. The Question shall be "Shall the Decision of the Officer stand as the judgment of the Court?" Such a vote will last 48 hours and serve as the final disposition of the point of order.

D. Questions or Disputes regarding the General Court Rules shall not be within the purview of the Lincoln Court or the Supreme Court, unless the Presiding Officer is refusing to recognize the existence of a point of order, in which case the courtjudiciary shall be limited to the ability to compel the Presiding Officer to proceed with handling the point of order and any related appeal. However, in this case, the authority of the court judiciary to hear the case ends the moment the Presiding Officer complies with their duties relevant to the point of order, even if such compliance comes during legal proceedings.

E. The text known as the "Lincoln Council Errata" is hereby repealed in its entirety.

Sponsor: Speaker Dwarven Dragon
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« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2021, 01:56:52 PM »

In designing this, I stayed as close as possible to the Council Rules as adopted in LC 10.17 to ensure a smooth transition. Parts of sections 2 and 4 have been rewritten to  fit the new system, philly plan stench has been cleared, and terminology has been updated throughout.

There aren't really formal rules for how we debate the rules, because the rules don't exist yet. I do intend to move quickly, but will allow time for people to read this and point out anything.

The sooner we get this done - the sooner we can do real bills.
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« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2021, 03:52:48 PM »

The new section 6D means there is no reason for the errata to remain separate, yes? The fact that it's separate from all the other sections just makes it confusing; why not just set definitions within sections themselves.

For instance, instead of errata II.C, just change the start of Section 3F to state "votes on Bills and Acts (as defined in section 1C of these rules)". Much simpler - don't pointlessly complicate this and make it harder to read when you're trying to start fresh!


Also, on another note, if the ability to hold votes on upholding a point of order needs to be matched with the ability to hold votes on rejecting one? Or are you saying that if the speaker does
[X], someone brings up a point of order saying no, speaker should have done [Y], and speaker agrees, then someone else can bring up a point of order saying no,
[X]was actually the right choice and hold a vote on that?
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« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2021, 04:10:49 PM »

Perhaps the language "simple majority" and "absolute majority" can be used for clarity.
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« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2021, 05:17:04 PM »

The new section 6D means there is no reason for the errata to remain separate, yes? The fact that it's separate from all the other sections just makes it confusing; why not just set definitions within sections themselves.

For instance, instead of errata II.C, just change the start of Section 3F to state "votes on Bills and Acts (as defined in section 1C of these rules)". Much simpler - don't pointlessly complicate this and make it harder to read when you're trying to start fresh!


Also, on another note, if the ability to hold votes on upholding a point of order needs to be matched with the ability to hold votes on rejecting one? Or are you saying that if the speaker does
[X], someone brings up a point of order saying no, speaker should have done [Y], and speaker agrees, then someone else can bring up a point of order saying no,
[X]was actually the right choice and hold a vote on that?


I guess I don't really care on the Errata thing - I'm fine with keeping it separate (even if that leaves some powers with BK) or with merging it with other sections. Probably I can write up what the merging looks like later and people can judge.

On the point of order thing...fair point.

Perhaps the language "simple majority" and "absolute majority" can be used for clarity.

Okay.

----

Second draft of this will be up later tonight, still open to further comments.
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« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2021, 06:08:40 PM »

I agree with most of the comments, certainly off to a good start.
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« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2021, 10:23:44 PM »
« Edited: April 30, 2021, 10:29:01 PM by Lincoln Speaker Dwarven Dragon »

Quote
Be it resolved that the Lincoln General Court adopts the following to govern its proceedings, except when governed by a special rule for a given bill:

Section 1: Proposed Legislation Thread
A. Deputies of the General Court, the Governor, and any concerned Lincoln citizen shall post the full text of any proposed legislation in a response to the Lincoln General Court Legislation Introduction Thread. Each response shall contain only one piece of proposed legislation.

B. Nothing shall be posted to the Lincoln General Court proposed legislation thread except proposed legislation or a Lincoln citizen's signature for proposed citizen legislation.

C: All action taken by the General Court is considered to be Legislation. Items requiring the signature of the Governor shall be additionally categorized as Bills. All legislation regarding the rules of the General Court shall be called the Standing Orders. The Provisions of Section 2F shall be applicable to bills and acts, with section 2E applying to all other legislation.

Section 2: Movement of Legislation to the Floor
A. The Speaker shall keep a thread on the Regional Governments board for introducing legislation. This thread shall be known as the Lincoln General Court Legislation Introduction Thread.

B. The number of threads about legislation that may be opened simultaneously shall be two for each Deputy of the General Court. All Deputies shall be able to use all slots, except as stated in C.

C. The Speaker shall move legislation to these threads in the order in which it was introduced in the Legislation Introduction Thread, except that legislation without a Court sponsor shall be skipped until it obtains one, and that if a sponsor has 2 or more pieces of legislation on the floor, legislation from other sponsors shall take priority until all such other legislation is on the floor.

D. Each piece of legislation on the floor shall receive its own thread. Threads shall be titled as follows:

LGC 1.1: The BLANK Act, where LGC acknowledges the legislation is in the General Court of Lincoln, 1 indicating that the legislation is in the first meeting of the General Court, 1 indicating that the legislation was the first piece of legislation introduced in the Legislation Introduction Thread, and BLANK being replaced with the name of the piece of legislation.

E. If the thread is for a motion to remove the Speaker or appoint a new one, an amendment to modify the SOAP or the Errata, or a special rule providing for special consideration of a given bill, it shall remain open until it either (a) it becomes passed via simple majority vote of the General Court, (b) fails to receive simple majority support from General Court, (c) the Speaker moves to revoke it from the floor, subject to a simple majority vote, or (d) it is removed pursuant to Section 3.J..

F. Otherwise, each thread shall remain open until the bill either (a) becomes law, (b) fails to receive simple majority support from General Court, (c) it is removed pursuant to Section 3.J., or (d) the Speaker moves to revoke it from the floor, subject to a simple majority vote.

Section 3: Legislative Debates and Voting
A. All proposed legislation shall be open for debate for no less than 72 hours after the Speaker places it on the floor, except that a motion to remove the Speaker or appoint a new one shall only be open for debate pursuant to Section 5.

B. During debate, General Court Deputies may suggest amendments to proposed legislation. The Speaker may ignore amendments they deem frivolous or unconstitutional, subject to a simple majority vote to consider said amendment. If no Deputy objects to the amendment within 24 hours, it shall be adopted. Otherwise, a vote on the amendment shall be taken 24 hours after being proposed unless there is less than 24 hours of debate remaining on the bill. If there is less than 24 hours of debate remaining on the bill, a vote on the amendment shall be taken before proceeding to a final vote on the bill. Such vote shall be open for 48 hours, or until all General Court Deputies have voted, if earlier. An amendment shall pass if a simple majority of General Court Deputies vote in favor of it (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes).

C. The sponsor of a proposed amendment may remove it from the floor by tabling it at any time before a vote on the amendment has concluded.

D. After the conclusion of the first 72 hours for debate, any General Court Deputy may call for a vote on said legislation. The Speaker shall open a vote if there is no objection from the Court within 24 hours of the call for a vote. If a General Court Deputy objects to the motion within 24 hours, a vote shall be held on whether or not to proceed to a final vote, with a two thirds majority required for the objection to be overruled if the legislation has been on the floor for less than 240 hours; and a simple majority required if the legislation has been on the floor for more than 240 hours. The presentation of a call for a vote shall not impact the ability to introduce or dispose of amendments, in such cases the Court shall take votes on amendments followed by the final vote if such call for a vote is successful.

E. At the motion of the Speaker, the General Court may waive the 72 hour requirement by unanimous consent. Consent shall be granted should no Deputy object within 24 hours.

F. Votes on legislation shall last for 48 hours, or until the whole membership has voted, whichever comes first. Only votes cast within the exact 48 hours after the Speaker has opened the vote shall be valid. Any votes cast after the 48 hours has expired are to be considered invalid, and may not be counted by the Speaker. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread. A piece of proposed legislation shall pass if a simple majority of Deputies vote in favour of it (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes). The Speaker shall certify the results of any vote within 24 hours of the end of the voting period.

G. In the event that passed legislation is vetoed, any Deputy may introduce a motion to override within 72 hours. No debate shall be required. An override vote shall last 48 hours, or until all Deputies have voted, if earlier. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread.

H. In the event where all Deputies have missed a vote, the Presiding Officer may exercise one of two options: they may extend the vote for 24 hours (they may do so repeatedly), this shall not require consent to suspend the rules, or they may certify the vote as a failed vote, due to not receiving a single AYE vote. Whichever option the presiding officer chooses may be overridden if 2/3rd's of sitting Deputies object, in which case the presiding officer must choose the other option. If a sufficient amount of Deputies object to both options, the presiding officer may choose whichever option they desire.

I. In the event that a gubernatorial redraft is sent to the General Court, the Speaker shall open an immediate vote. No debate shall be required. The vote shall last 48 hours, or until all Deputies have voted, if earlier. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread.

J. Any Deputy may remove their sponsorship of a bill at any time. If no Deputy sponsors the bill within 24 hours, the bill shall be removed from the floor.

K. Should there be a case where a second is required to take action, it must occur on this forum and in the same thread as the thing being seconded. If a second is required for a vote to begin, the second required to begin the vote must be made before the vote can begin. A second must be explicitly stated as such.

Section 4: Final Business

A. The General Court shall be dissolved at the start of the general elections.

B. The "Final Business" period of the General Court shall commence 36 hours prior to dissolution of the General Court session and shall end at dissolution.

  i. At the start of Final Business, the Speaker shall declare in all pending legislative threads that Final Business has commenced and the session is nearing its end.

    a. At this time, the Speaker must no longer open new legislative threads.

    b. At this time, the General Court shall not consider new amendment proposals or votes.

   ii. All legislation on the floor of the General Court shall go to a final vote at the start of the final business period, unless either the sponsor of the legislation or an absolute majority of the General Court voices an objection to the vote. Such a vote shall close no later than the time of dissolution. Any legislation left incomplete at the end of a session shall be carried over to the next session.

Section 5: Role of the Speaker
A. The Speaker is the presiding officer of the General Court and is tasked with interpreting and enforcing the Standing Orders as prescribed in this act.

B. At the beginning of each term of the General Court, and at any time when the office is vacant, the first order of business shall be to elect the Speaker. Prior to the election of a Speaker, the most senior Deputy may serve as Acting Speaker for the purposes of electing a Speaker only. If such individual is not available, the Governor may act as Speaker. If the Governor is also unavailable, the next most senior deputy shall preside, and so on and so forth until a deputy able to preside is found. Time served in the 10th Lincoln Council may be used to determine seniority in the 1st General Court.

C. The Presiding Officer shall begin with a nomination period, to last 24 hours, followed by a 48 hour vote between the nominated candidates. The vote may be certified early if all Deputies have voted. Votes may be changed until certification. Write in votes will be allowed. Late votes shall not be counted. The Speaker shall immediately assume office.

D. The General Court may, at any time, remove the Speaker by introducing legislation to do such. The motion shall take precedence over all other business before the Court, and shall only be open to debate at the discretion of the presiding officer. A 48 hour vote, according to the provisions of Section 3, may begin immediately. The Governor will designate a Deputy to preside in the place of the Speaker. The Legislation may designate the new Speaker, or a new one may be elected afterward as detailed above.

Section 6: Rules Dispute

A. The Court may elect to suspend any section of these rules at any time with the consent of two-thirds of sitting Deputies. Such a vote may begin at any time, shall last for 48 hours, and shall not require any debate period beforehand.

B. The presiding officer may unilaterally suspend any section of these rules at any time, unless another Deputy objects. If a Deputy objects, suspending the rules shall require the consent of two-thirds of sitting Deputies.

--- Such objection must be raised within 24 hours. The presiding officer shall have the option to proceed with the effect of the suspension without waiting for an objection, and then turn back if an objection is raised within 24 hours, but if this option is taken, all action taken going back to the moment of the suspension becomes null and void if an objection is raised. The presiding officer may also elect to wait the full 24 hours before proceeding. The suspension must be announced in some form - there does not need to be any specific phrasing, but it must be made clear that some sort of action is being taken that one could stop or alter by the means of objecting within 24 hours.

C. If a Deputy believes that a given action is in violation of the rules, such a Deputy may raise a point of order. This can be done on the thread in which rules are being broken, or on a new thread the Deputy may create. The Presiding Officer shall immediately rule on the point of order. If the point of order is upheld, all action objected to by the point of order shall be null and void. Any Deputy may appeal the ruling within 24 hours by calling for an immediate vote on it. The Question shall be "Shall the Decision of the Officer stand as the judgment of the Court?" Such a vote will last 48 hours and serve as the final disposition of the point of order.

D. Questions or Disputes regarding the General Court Rules shall not be within the purview of the Lincoln Court or the Supreme Court, unless the Presiding Officer is refusing to recognize the existence of a point of order, in which case the court shall be limited to the ability to compel the Presiding Officer to proceed with handling the point of order and any related appeal. However, in this case, the authority of the court to hear the case ends the moment the Presiding Officer complies with their duties relevant to the point of order, even if such compliance comes during legal proceedings.

E. The text known as the "Lincoln Council Errata" is hereby repealed in its entirety.



Okay:

- Removed the Title Designations
- The Retention of the Errata is replaced by Section 6E to definitively state it no longer exists (since L.C. 10.19 technically only disposed of the Council's SOAP)
- The Errata's language on seconds is now in new Section 3K. While it doesn't have any current use, I do think the precedent is important should a situation ever arise under a special procedure or something.
- The Errata's language on legislation was merged into Section 1C. as needed.
- Majorities are clarified to be simple or absolute (in all but one case simple is used)
- Points of Order are now appealable whether upheld or overruled.
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« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2021, 10:30:24 PM »

What about here?

Quote
H. In the event where all Deputies have missed a vote, the Presiding Officer may exercise one of two options: they may extend the vote for 24 hours (they may do so repeatedly), this shall not require consent to suspend the rules, or they may certify the vote as a failed vote, due to not receiving a single AYE vote. Whichever option the presiding officer chooses may be overridden if 2/3rd's of sitting Deputies objectby objection from a two-thirds absolute majority, in which case the presiding officer must choose the other option. If a sufficient amount of Deputies object to both options, the presiding officer may choose whichever option they desire.
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« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2021, 10:33:57 PM »

What about here?

Quote
H. In the event where all Deputies have missed a vote, the Presiding Officer may exercise one of two options: they may extend the vote for 24 hours (they may do so repeatedly), this shall not require consent to suspend the rules, or they may certify the vote as a failed vote, due to not receiving a single AYE vote. Whichever option the presiding officer chooses may be overridden if 2/3rd's of sitting Deputies objectby objection from a two-thirds absolute majority, in which case the presiding officer must choose the other option. If a sufficient amount of Deputies object to both options, the presiding officer may choose whichever option they desire.

Ah, good catch.



Quote
Be it resolved that the Lincoln General Court adopts the following to govern its proceedings, except when governed by a special rule for a given bill:

Section 1: Proposed Legislation Thread
A. Deputies of the General Court, the Governor, and any concerned Lincoln citizen shall post the full text of any proposed legislation in a response to the Lincoln General Court Legislation Introduction Thread. Each response shall contain only one piece of proposed legislation.

B. Nothing shall be posted to the Lincoln General Court proposed legislation thread except proposed legislation or a Lincoln citizen's signature for proposed citizen legislation.

C: All action taken by the General Court is considered to be Legislation. Items requiring the signature of the Governor shall be additionally categorized as Bills. All legislation regarding the rules of the General Court shall be called the Standing Orders. The Provisions of Section 2F shall be applicable to bills and acts, with section 2E applying to all other legislation.

Section 2: Movement of Legislation to the Floor
A. The Speaker shall keep a thread on the Regional Governments board for introducing legislation. This thread shall be known as the Lincoln General Court Legislation Introduction Thread.

B. The number of threads about legislation that may be opened simultaneously shall be two for each Deputy of the General Court. All Deputies shall be able to use all slots, except as stated in C.

C. The Speaker shall move legislation to these threads in the order in which it was introduced in the Legislation Introduction Thread, except that legislation without a Court sponsor shall be skipped until it obtains one, and that if a sponsor has 2 or more pieces of legislation on the floor, legislation from other sponsors shall take priority until all such other legislation is on the floor.

D. Each piece of legislation on the floor shall receive its own thread. Threads shall be titled as follows:

LGC 1.1: The BLANK Act, where LGC acknowledges the legislation is in the General Court of Lincoln, 1 indicating that the legislation is in the first meeting of the General Court, 1 indicating that the legislation was the first piece of legislation introduced in the Legislation Introduction Thread, and BLANK being replaced with the name of the piece of legislation.

E. If the thread is for a motion to remove the Speaker or appoint a new one, an amendment to modify the SOAP or the Errata, or a special rule providing for special consideration of a given bill, it shall remain open until it either (a) it becomes passed via simple majority vote of the General Court, (b) fails to receive simple majority support from General Court, (c) the Speaker moves to revoke it from the floor, subject to a simple majority vote, or (d) it is removed pursuant to Section 3.J..

F. Otherwise, each thread shall remain open until the bill either (a) becomes law, (b) fails to receive simple majority support from General Court, (c) it is removed pursuant to Section 3.J., or (d) the Speaker moves to revoke it from the floor, subject to a simple majority vote.

Section 3: Legislative Debates and Voting
A. All proposed legislation shall be open for debate for no less than 72 hours after the Speaker places it on the floor, except that a motion to remove the Speaker or appoint a new one shall only be open for debate pursuant to Section 5.

B. During debate, General Court Deputies may suggest amendments to proposed legislation. The Speaker may ignore amendments they deem frivolous or unconstitutional, subject to a simple majority vote to consider said amendment. If no Deputy objects to the amendment within 24 hours, it shall be adopted. Otherwise, a vote on the amendment shall be taken 24 hours after being proposed unless there is less than 24 hours of debate remaining on the bill. If there is less than 24 hours of debate remaining on the bill, a vote on the amendment shall be taken before proceeding to a final vote on the bill. Such vote shall be open for 48 hours, or until all General Court Deputies have voted, if earlier. An amendment shall pass if a simple majority of General Court Deputies vote in favor of it (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes).

C. The sponsor of a proposed amendment may remove it from the floor by tabling it at any time before a vote on the amendment has concluded.

D. After the conclusion of the first 72 hours for debate, any General Court Deputy may call for a vote on said legislation. The Speaker shall open a vote if there is no objection from the Court within 24 hours of the call for a vote. If a General Court Deputy objects to the motion within 24 hours, a vote shall be held on whether or not to proceed to a final vote, with a two thirds simple majority required for the objection to be overruled if the legislation has been on the floor for less than 240 hours; and a simple majority required if the legislation has been on the floor for more than 240 hours. The presentation of a call for a vote shall not impact the ability to introduce or dispose of amendments, in such cases the Court shall take votes on amendments followed by the final vote if such call for a vote is successful.

E. At the motion of the Speaker, the General Court may waive the 72 hour requirement by unanimous consent. Consent shall be granted should no Deputy object within 24 hours.

F. Votes on legislation shall last for 48 hours, or until the whole membership has voted, whichever comes first. Only votes cast within the exact 48 hours after the Speaker has opened the vote shall be valid. Any votes cast after the 48 hours has expired are to be considered invalid, and may not be counted by the Speaker. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread. A piece of proposed legislation shall pass if a simple majority of Deputies vote in favour of it (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes). The Speaker shall certify the results of any vote within 24 hours of the end of the voting period.

G. In the event that passed legislation is vetoed, any Deputy may introduce a motion to override within 72 hours. No debate shall be required. An override vote shall last 48 hours, or until all Deputies have voted, if earlier. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread.

H. In the event where all Deputies have missed a vote, the Presiding Officer may exercise one of two options: they may extend the vote for 24 hours (they may do so repeatedly), this shall not require consent to suspend the rules, or they may certify the vote as a failed vote, due to not receiving a single AYE vote. Whichever option the presiding officer chooses may be overridden if 2/3rd's of sitting Deputies objectby objection from a two-thirds absolute majority, in which case the presiding officer must choose the other option. If a sufficient amount of Deputies object to both options, the presiding officer may choose whichever option they desire.

I. In the event that a gubernatorial redraft is sent to the General Court, the Speaker shall open an immediate vote. No debate shall be required. The vote shall last 48 hours, or until all Deputies have voted, if earlier. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread.

J. Any Deputy may remove their sponsorship of a bill at any time. If no Deputy sponsors the bill within 24 hours, the bill shall be removed from the floor.

K. Should there be a case where a second is required to take action, it must occur on this forum and in the same thread as the thing being seconded. If a second is required for a vote to begin, the second required to begin the vote must be made before the vote can begin. A second must be explicitly stated as such.

Section 4: Final Business

A. The General Court shall be dissolved at the start of the general elections.

B. The "Final Business" period of the General Court shall commence 36 hours prior to dissolution of the General Court session and shall end at dissolution.

  i. At the start of Final Business, the Speaker shall declare in all pending legislative threads that Final Business has commenced and the session is nearing its end.

    a. At this time, the Speaker must no longer open new legislative threads.

    b. At this time, the General Court shall not consider new amendment proposals or votes.

   ii. All legislation on the floor of the General Court shall go to a final vote at the start of the final business period, unless either the sponsor of the legislation or an absolute majority of the General Court voices an objection to the vote. Such a vote shall close no later than the time of dissolution. Any legislation left incomplete at the end of a session shall be carried over to the next session.

Section 5: Role of the Speaker
A. The Speaker is the presiding officer of the General Court and is tasked with interpreting and enforcing the Standing Orders as prescribed in this act.

B. At the beginning of each term of the General Court, and at any time when the office is vacant, the first order of business shall be to elect the Speaker. Prior to the election of a Speaker, the most senior Deputy may serve as Acting Speaker for the purposes of electing a Speaker only. If such individual is not available, the Governor may act as Speaker. If the Governor is also unavailable, the next most senior deputy shall preside, and so on and so forth until a deputy able to preside is found. Time served in the 10th Lincoln Council may be used to determine seniority in the 1st General Court.

C. The Presiding Officer shall begin with a nomination period, to last 24 hours, followed by a 48 hour vote between the nominated candidates. The vote may be certified early if all Deputies have voted. Votes may be changed until certification. Write in votes will be allowed. Late votes shall not be counted. The Speaker shall immediately assume office.

D. The General Court may, at any time, remove the Speaker by introducing legislation to do such. The motion shall take precedence over all other business before the Court, and shall only be open to debate at the discretion of the presiding officer. A 48 hour vote, according to the provisions of Section 3, may begin immediately. The Governor will designate a Deputy to preside in the place of the Speaker. The Legislation may designate the new Speaker, or a new one may be elected afterward as detailed above.

Section 6: Rules Dispute

A. The Court may elect to suspend any section of these rules at any time with the consent of two-thirds of sitting Deputies. Such a vote may begin at any time, shall last for 48 hours, and shall not require any debate period beforehand.

B. The presiding officer may unilaterally suspend any section of these rules at any time, unless another Deputy objects. If a Deputy objects, suspending the rules shall require the consent of two-thirds of sitting Deputies.

--- Such objection must be raised within 24 hours. The presiding officer shall have the option to proceed with the effect of the suspension without waiting for an objection, and then turn back if an objection is raised within 24 hours, but if this option is taken, all action taken going back to the moment of the suspension becomes null and void if an objection is raised. The presiding officer may also elect to wait the full 24 hours before proceeding. The suspension must be announced in some form - there does not need to be any specific phrasing, but it must be made clear that some sort of action is being taken that one could stop or alter by the means of objecting within 24 hours.

C. If a Deputy believes that a given action is in violation of the rules, such a Deputy may raise a point of order. This can be done on the thread in which rules are being broken, or on a new thread the Deputy may create. The Presiding Officer shall immediately rule on the point of order. If the point of order is upheld, all action objected to by the point of order shall be null and void. Any Deputy may appeal the ruling within 24 hours by calling for an immediate vote on it. The Question shall be "Shall the Decision of the Officer stand as the judgment of the Court?" Such a vote will last 48 hours and serve as the final disposition of the point of order.

D. Questions or Disputes regarding the General Court Rules shall not be within the purview of the Lincoln Court or the Supreme Court, unless the Presiding Officer is refusing to recognize the existence of a point of order, in which case the court shall be limited to the ability to compel the Presiding Officer to proceed with handling the point of order and any related appeal. However, in this case, the authority of the court to hear the case ends the moment the Presiding Officer complies with their duties relevant to the point of order, even if such compliance comes during legal proceedings.

E. The text known as the "Lincoln Council Errata" is hereby repealed in its entirety.
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« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2021, 02:34:27 AM »

Quote
LGC 1.1: The BLANK Act, where LGC acknowledges the legislation is in the General Court of Lincoln, 1 indicating that the legislation is in the first meeting of the General Court, 1 indicating that the legislation was the first piece of legislation introduced in the Legislation Introduction Thread, and BLANK being replaced with the name of the piece of legislation.

I promise, by the end of the month I will introduce "the BLANK Act."
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« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2021, 02:39:09 AM »
« Edited: May 01, 2021, 02:42:15 AM by Leinad »

Quote
D. Questions or Disputes regarding the General Court Rules shall not be within the purview of the Lincoln Court or the Supreme Court, unless the Presiding Officer is refusing to recognize the existence of a point of order, in which case the court shall be limited to the ability to compel the Presiding Officer to proceed with handling the point of order and any related appeal. However, in this case, the authority of the court to hear the case ends the moment the Presiding Officer complies with their duties relevant to the point of order, even if such compliance comes during legal proceedings.

Use of "the court" is too ambiguous considering our body's name, imo.

I propose:

Quote
D. Questions or Disputes regarding the General Court Rules shall not be within the purview of the Lincoln Court or the Supreme Court, unless the Presiding Officer is refusing to recognize the existence of a point of order, in which case the court Lincoln Court or the Supreme Court shall be limited to the ability to compel the Presiding Officer to proceed with handling the point of order and any related appeal. However, in this case, the authority of the court Lincoln Court or the Supreme Court to hear the case ends the moment the Presiding Officer complies with their duties relevant to the point of order, even if such compliance comes during legal proceedings.

Alt: "aforementioned judicial body" "judicial branch" "judiciary" or something of that ilk, whatever is clearest and least clunky to you guys

Everyone else bring your fine-toothed combs out. I'll try to read it again tomorrow afternoon if I can find the time after I get back from the store inspiring kids at a school here in Lincoln.
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« Reply #11 on: May 01, 2021, 03:33:10 PM »

I disagree with the free for all slot system and think you guys should consider either a government/opposition division with the Speaker being partisan or having each Courtite having one slot.


Another thing that I have qualms about was this: The presentation of a call for a vote shall not impact the ability to introduce or dispose of amendments, in such cases the Court shall take votes on amendments followed by the final vote if such call for a vote is successful.

General precedent has been that if a final vote motion is called, amendments cannot be considered unless the final vote motion fails. Otherwise, what I could see happen here is a motion for a final vote is called, someone who hates the bill introduces 30 amendments, motion for final vote is successful, Court wastes time voting on 30 amendments, bill is delayed until next session. Do we see why this is a problem? There is a chance that a partisan active legislator, like the second coming of the Second Council version of me could abuse this to create a de-facto filibuster type thing.

Other than that, this seems good.
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« Reply #12 on: May 01, 2021, 04:35:48 PM »

Well under the old version of the rules it was unclear at best what happened regarding amendments and final vote motions. For instance, could one introduce a final vote motion if an amendment was still actively pending? And if so what happened to that amendment? The rules said that if the Chancellor did this it treated such amendments as failed unless they were being actively voted on, but left it ambiguous for a standard member. The whole "you can't offer a new amendment when a final vote motion is pending" was more of a Speaker's Announced Policy than an actual rule, I'm not even sure it was 100% consistent lol. And in most cases people just withdrew the final vote motion if there was an amendment to be offered anyways.

I think the language offered is the fairest possible and will clear up all these discrepancies.

In the event of a filibuster by amendment, I imagine the Speaker would simply hold the votes as simultaneously as possible, as both myself and Kaiser did at times.


As I've told you several times, there was no opposition (thus members of different parties shared slots) for much of the 9th and 10th councils and clogging did not result. There may be a justification for GLRP style federally, but it seems not here. Regarding the seven slot system, the old 5 member Council would have filled that up at times, so definitely too small for a seven member body, particularly when restricted as you propose.

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« Reply #13 on: May 01, 2021, 04:39:34 PM »

Well under the old version of the rules it was unclear at best what happened regarding amendments and final vote motions. For instance, could one introduce a final vote motion if an amendment was still actively pending? And if so what happened to that amendment? The rules said that if the Chancellor did this it treated such amendments as failed unless they were being actively voted on, but left it ambiguous for a standard member. The whole "you can't offer a new amendment when a final vote motion is pending" was more of a Speaker's Announced Policy than an actual rule, I'm not even sure it was 100% consistent lol. And in most cases people just withdrew the final vote motion if there was an amendment to be offered anyways.

Then the way to do it is to say that no amendments proposed after a final vote motion can be considered, while amendments proposed before a final vote motion can still be considered.


As I've told you several times, there was no opposition (thus members of different parties shared slots) for much of the 9th and 10th councils and clogging did not result. There may be a justification for GLRP style federally, but it seems not here. Regarding the seven slot system, the old 5 member Council would have filled that up at times, so definitely too small for a seven member body, particularly when restricted as you propose.


I don't see anything wrong with being cautious and the slot division method has worked just fine, I'd keep it, I don't see the need for this free-for-all type system.
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« Reply #14 on: May 01, 2021, 04:42:42 PM »

Fixing Leinad's concern:

Be it resolved that the Lincoln General Court adopts the following to govern its proceedings, except when governed by a special rule for a given bill:

Section 1: Proposed Legislation Thread
A. Deputies of the General Court, the Governor, and any concerned Lincoln citizen shall post the full text of any proposed legislation in a response to the Lincoln General Court Legislation Introduction Thread. Each response shall contain only one piece of proposed legislation.

B. Nothing shall be posted to the Lincoln General Court proposed legislation thread except proposed legislation or a Lincoln citizen's signature for proposed citizen legislation.

C: All action taken by the General Court is considered to be Legislation. Items requiring the signature of the Governor shall be additionally categorized as Bills. All legislation regarding the rules of the General Court shall be called the Standing Orders. The Provisions of Section 2F shall be applicable to bills and acts, with section 2E applying to all other legislation.

Section 2: Movement of Legislation to the Floor
A. The Speaker shall keep a thread on the Regional Governments board for introducing legislation. This thread shall be known as the Lincoln General Court Legislation Introduction Thread.

B. The number of threads about legislation that may be opened simultaneously shall be two for each Deputy of the General Court. All Deputies shall be able to use all slots, except as stated in C.

C. The Speaker shall move legislation to these threads in the order in which it was introduced in the Legislation Introduction Thread, except that legislation without a Court sponsor shall be skipped until it obtains one, and that if a sponsor has 2 or more pieces of legislation on the floor, legislation from other sponsors shall take priority until all such other legislation is on the floor.

D. Each piece of legislation on the floor shall receive its own thread. Threads shall be titled as follows:

LGC 1.1: The BLANK Act, where LGC acknowledges the legislation is in the General Court of Lincoln, 1 indicating that the legislation is in the first meeting of the General Court, 1 indicating that the legislation was the first piece of legislation introduced in the Legislation Introduction Thread, and BLANK being replaced with the name of the piece of legislation.

E. If the thread is for a motion to remove the Speaker or appoint a new one, an amendment to modify the SOAP or the Errata, or a special rule providing for special consideration of a given bill, it shall remain open until it either (a) it becomes passed via simple majority vote of the General Court, (b) fails to receive simple majority support from General Court, (c) the Speaker moves to revoke it from the floor, subject to a simple majority vote, or (d) it is removed pursuant to Section 3.J..

F. Otherwise, each thread shall remain open until the bill either (a) becomes law, (b) fails to receive simple majority support from General Court, (c) it is removed pursuant to Section 3.J., or (d) the Speaker moves to revoke it from the floor, subject to a simple majority vote.

Section 3: Legislative Debates and Voting
A. All proposed legislation shall be open for debate for no less than 72 hours after the Speaker places it on the floor, except that a motion to remove the Speaker or appoint a new one shall only be open for debate pursuant to Section 5.

B. During debate, General Court Deputies may suggest amendments to proposed legislation. The Speaker may ignore amendments they deem frivolous or unconstitutional, subject to a simple majority vote to consider said amendment. If no Deputy objects to the amendment within 24 hours, it shall be adopted. Otherwise, a vote on the amendment shall be taken 24 hours after being proposed unless there is less than 24 hours of debate remaining on the bill. If there is less than 24 hours of debate remaining on the bill, a vote on the amendment shall be taken before proceeding to a final vote on the bill. Such vote shall be open for 48 hours, or until all General Court Deputies have voted, if earlier. An amendment shall pass if a simple majority of General Court Deputies vote in favor of it (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes).

C. The sponsor of a proposed amendment may remove it from the floor by tabling it at any time before a vote on the amendment has concluded.

D. After the conclusion of the first 72 hours for debate, any General Court Deputy may call for a vote on said legislation. The Speaker shall open a vote if there is no objection from the Court within 24 hours of the call for a vote. If a General Court Deputy objects to the motion within 24 hours, a vote shall be held on whether or not to proceed to a final vote, with a two thirds simple majority required for the objection to be overruled if the legislation has been on the floor for less than 240 hours; and a simple majority required if the legislation has been on the floor for more than 240 hours. The presentation of a call for a vote shall not impact the ability to introduce or dispose of amendments, in such cases the Court shall take votes on amendments followed by the final vote if such call for a vote is successful.

E. At the motion of the Speaker, the General Court may waive the 72 hour requirement by unanimous consent. Consent shall be granted should no Deputy object within 24 hours.

F. Votes on legislation shall last for 48 hours, or until the whole membership has voted, whichever comes first. Only votes cast within the exact 48 hours after the Speaker has opened the vote shall be valid. Any votes cast after the 48 hours has expired are to be considered invalid, and may not be counted by the Speaker. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread. A piece of proposed legislation shall pass if a simple majority of Deputies vote in favour of it (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes). The Speaker shall certify the results of any vote within 24 hours of the end of the voting period.

G. In the event that passed legislation is vetoed, any Deputy may introduce a motion to override within 72 hours. No debate shall be required. An override vote shall last 48 hours, or until all Deputies have voted, if earlier. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread.

H. In the event where all Deputies have missed a vote, the Presiding Officer may exercise one of two options: they may extend the vote for 24 hours (they may do so repeatedly), this shall not require consent to suspend the rules, or they may certify the vote as a failed vote, due to not receiving a single AYE vote. Whichever option the presiding officer chooses may be overridden if 2/3rd's of sitting Deputies objectby objection from a two-thirds absolute majority, in which case the presiding officer must choose the other option. If a sufficient amount of Deputies object to both options, the presiding officer may choose whichever option they desire.

I. In the event that a gubernatorial redraft is sent to the General Court, the Speaker shall open an immediate vote. No debate shall be required. The vote shall last 48 hours, or until all Deputies have voted, if earlier. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread.

J. Any Deputy may remove their sponsorship of a bill at any time. If no Deputy sponsors the bill within 24 hours, the bill shall be removed from the floor.

K. Should there be a case where a second is required to take action, it must occur on this forum and in the same thread as the thing being seconded. If a second is required for a vote to begin, the second required to begin the vote must be made before the vote can begin. A second must be explicitly stated as such.

Section 4: Final Business

A. The General Court shall be dissolved at the start of the general elections.

B. The "Final Business" period of the General Court shall commence 36 hours prior to dissolution of the General Court session and shall end at dissolution.

  i. At the start of Final Business, the Speaker shall declare in all pending legislative threads that Final Business has commenced and the session is nearing its end.

    a. At this time, the Speaker must no longer open new legislative threads.

    b. At this time, the General Court shall not consider new amendment proposals or votes.

   ii. All legislation on the floor of the General Court shall go to a final vote at the start of the final business period, unless either the sponsor of the legislation or an absolute majority of the General Court voices an objection to the vote. Such a vote shall close no later than the time of dissolution. Any legislation left incomplete at the end of a session shall be carried over to the next session.

Section 5: Role of the Speaker
A. The Speaker is the presiding officer of the General Court and is tasked with interpreting and enforcing the Standing Orders as prescribed in this act.

B. At the beginning of each term of the General Court, and at any time when the office is vacant, the first order of business shall be to elect the Speaker. Prior to the election of a Speaker, the most senior Deputy may serve as Acting Speaker for the purposes of electing a Speaker only. If such individual is not available, the Governor may act as Speaker. If the Governor is also unavailable, the next most senior deputy shall preside, and so on and so forth until a deputy able to preside is found. Time served in the 10th Lincoln Council may be used to determine seniority in the 1st General Court.

C. The Presiding Officer shall begin with a nomination period, to last 24 hours, followed by a 48 hour vote between the nominated candidates. The vote may be certified early if all Deputies have voted. Votes may be changed until certification. Write in votes will be allowed. Late votes shall not be counted. The Speaker shall immediately assume office.

D. The General Court may, at any time, remove the Speaker by introducing legislation to do such. The motion shall take precedence over all other business before the Court, and shall only be open to debate at the discretion of the presiding officer. A 48 hour vote, according to the provisions of Section 3, may begin immediately. The Governor will designate a Deputy to preside in the place of the Speaker. The Legislation may designate the new Speaker, or a new one may be elected afterward as detailed above.

Section 6: Rules Dispute

A. The Court may elect to suspend any section of these rules at any time with the consent of two-thirds of sitting Deputies. Such a vote may begin at any time, shall last for 48 hours, and shall not require any debate period beforehand.

B. The presiding officer may unilaterally suspend any section of these rules at any time, unless another Deputy objects. If a Deputy objects, suspending the rules shall require the consent of two-thirds of sitting Deputies.

--- Such objection must be raised within 24 hours. The presiding officer shall have the option to proceed with the effect of the suspension without waiting for an objection, and then turn back if an objection is raised within 24 hours, but if this option is taken, all action taken going back to the moment of the suspension becomes null and void if an objection is raised. The presiding officer may also elect to wait the full 24 hours before proceeding. The suspension must be announced in some form - there does not need to be any specific phrasing, but it must be made clear that some sort of action is being taken that one could stop or alter by the means of objecting within 24 hours.

C. If a Deputy believes that a given action is in violation of the rules, such a Deputy may raise a point of order. This can be done on the thread in which rules are being broken, or on a new thread the Deputy may create. The Presiding Officer shall immediately rule on the point of order. If the point of order is upheld, all action objected to by the point of order shall be null and void. Any Deputy may appeal the ruling within 24 hours by calling for an immediate vote on it. The Question shall be "Shall the Decision of the Officer stand as the judgment of the Court?" Such a vote will last 48 hours and serve as the final disposition of the point of order.

D. Questions or Disputes regarding the General Court Rules shall not be within the purview of the Lincoln Court or the Supreme Court, unless the Presiding Officer is refusing to recognize the existence of a point of order, in which case the courtjudiciary shall be limited to the ability to compel the Presiding Officer to proceed with handling the point of order and any related appeal. However, in this case, the authority of the court judiciary to hear the case ends the moment the Presiding Officer complies with their duties relevant to the point of order, even if such compliance comes during legal proceedings.

E. The text known as the "Lincoln Council Errata" is hereby repealed in its entirety.

Well under the old version of the rules it was unclear at best what happened regarding amendments and final vote motions. For instance, could one introduce a final vote motion if an amendment was still actively pending? And if so what happened to that amendment? The rules said that if the Chancellor did this it treated such amendments as failed unless they were being actively voted on, but left it ambiguous for a standard member. The whole "you can't offer a new amendment when a final vote motion is pending" was more of a Speaker's Announced Policy than an actual rule, I'm not even sure it was 100% consistent lol. And in most cases people just withdrew the final vote motion if there was an amendment to be offered anyways.

Then the way to do it is to say that no amendments proposed after a final vote motion can be considered, while amendments proposed before a final vote motion can still be considered.

Hmmm.....I guess I'm not completely opposed to that model. What do other people think?
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« Reply #15 on: May 01, 2021, 04:45:26 PM »



I don't see anything wrong with being cautious and the slot division method has worked just fine, I'd keep it, I don't see the need for this free-for-all type system.

In general legislatures should be as open as possible unless a reason to close them arises. What happened Federally is irrelevant to Lincoln and in any case Federal GLRP has been repealed. Also, the "opposition" for this session would be *checks notes* Leinad and SN2903...which just seems silly.
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« Reply #16 on: May 01, 2021, 04:48:17 PM »

I don't see anything wrong with being cautious and the slot division method has worked just fine, I'd keep it, I don't see the need for this free-for-all type system.

In general legislatures should be as open as possible unless a reason to close them arises. What happened Federally is irrelevant to Lincoln and in any case Federal GLRP has been repealed. Also, the "opposition" for this session would be *checks notes* Leinad and SN2903...which just seems silly.

I'm not even saying you have to change it from the free-for-all, I'm just saying there should be some debate on it/maybe you should consider several different proposals and vote on them all at once.
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« Reply #17 on: May 02, 2021, 01:06:00 AM »

Also, the "opposition" for this session would be *checks notes* Leinad and SN2903...which just seems silly.

I guarantee the vote wouldn't have gone like that had we set up a partisan speakership beforehand Tongue
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« Reply #18 on: May 02, 2021, 01:28:29 AM »

Well under the old version of the rules it was unclear at best what happened regarding amendments and final vote motions. For instance, could one introduce a final vote motion if an amendment was still actively pending? And if so what happened to that amendment? The rules said that if the Chancellor did this it treated such amendments as failed unless they were being actively voted on, but left it ambiguous for a standard member. The whole "you can't offer a new amendment when a final vote motion is pending" was more of a Speaker's Announced Policy than an actual rule, I'm not even sure it was 100% consistent lol. And in most cases people just withdrew the final vote motion if there was an amendment to be offered anyways.

Then the way to do it is to say that no amendments proposed after a final vote motion can be considered, while amendments proposed before a final vote motion can still be considered.

Hmmm.....I guess I'm not completely opposed to that model. What do other people think?

It sounds like a good idea, I think? Being able to spam amendments to delay a vote sounds fun if you're the one doing it, but it sounds like it would be annoying for anyone else. (Also, even if it wasn't a problem before, the more we talk about it here the more the seed is planted in mischievous people's heads Tongue)
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« Reply #19 on: May 02, 2021, 12:14:02 PM »

This rectifies the filibuster by amendment concern.

If someone in the GC wants to offer an amendment to the Slot system I will permit it to have a vote, just not doing it in this manager's package because I oppose any changes to that.

And now I'll officially call 24 hours to object to the manager's package below.

If possible final passage vote on the rules will begin Monday Evening, may be pushed back if needed.

Be it resolved that the Lincoln General Court adopts the following to govern its proceedings, except when governed by a special rule for a given bill:

Section 1: Proposed Legislation Thread
A. Deputies of the General Court, the Governor, and any concerned Lincoln citizen shall post the full text of any proposed legislation in a response to the Lincoln General Court Legislation Introduction Thread. Each response shall contain only one piece of proposed legislation.

B. Nothing shall be posted to the Lincoln General Court proposed legislation thread except proposed legislation or a Lincoln citizen's signature for proposed citizen legislation.

C: All action taken by the General Court is considered to be Legislation. Items requiring the signature of the Governor shall be additionally categorized as Bills. All legislation regarding the rules of the General Court shall be called the Standing Orders. The Provisions of Section 2F shall be applicable to bills and acts, with section 2E applying to all other legislation.

Section 2: Movement of Legislation to the Floor
A. The Speaker shall keep a thread on the Regional Governments board for introducing legislation. This thread shall be known as the Lincoln General Court Legislation Introduction Thread.

B. The number of threads about legislation that may be opened simultaneously shall be two for each Deputy of the General Court. All Deputies shall be able to use all slots, except as stated in C.

C. The Speaker shall move legislation to these threads in the order in which it was introduced in the Legislation Introduction Thread, except that legislation without a Court sponsor shall be skipped until it obtains one, and that if a sponsor has 2 or more pieces of legislation on the floor, legislation from other sponsors shall take priority until all such other legislation is on the floor.

D. Each piece of legislation on the floor shall receive its own thread. Threads shall be titled as follows:

LGC 1.1: The BLANK Act, where LGC acknowledges the legislation is in the General Court of Lincoln, 1 indicating that the legislation is in the first meeting of the General Court, 1 indicating that the legislation was the first piece of legislation introduced in the Legislation Introduction Thread, and BLANK being replaced with the name of the piece of legislation.

E. If the thread is for a motion to remove the Speaker or appoint a new one, an amendment to modify the SOAP or the Errata, or a special rule providing for special consideration of a given bill, it shall remain open until it either (a) it becomes passed via simple majority vote of the General Court, (b) fails to receive simple majority support from General Court, (c) the Speaker moves to revoke it from the floor, subject to a simple majority vote, or (d) it is removed pursuant to Section 3.J..

F. Otherwise, each thread shall remain open until the bill either (a) becomes law, (b) fails to receive simple majority support from General Court, (c) it is removed pursuant to Section 3.J., or (d) the Speaker moves to revoke it from the floor, subject to a simple majority vote.

Section 3: Legislative Debates and Voting
A. All proposed legislation shall be open for debate for no less than 72 hours after the Speaker places it on the floor, except that a motion to remove the Speaker or appoint a new one shall only be open for debate pursuant to Section 5.

B. During debate, General Court Deputies may suggest amendments to proposed legislation. The Speaker may ignore amendments they deem frivolous or unconstitutional, subject to a simple majority vote to consider said amendment. If no Deputy objects to the amendment within 24 hours, it shall be adopted. Otherwise, a vote on the amendment shall be taken 24 hours after being proposed unless there is less than 24 hours of debate remaining on the bill. If there is less than 24 hours of debate remaining on the bill, a vote on the amendment shall be taken before proceeding to a final vote on the bill. Such vote shall be open for 48 hours, or until all General Court Deputies have voted, if earlier. An amendment shall pass if a simple majority of General Court Deputies vote in favor of it (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes).

C. The sponsor of a proposed amendment may remove it from the floor by tabling it at any time before a vote on the amendment has concluded.

D. After the conclusion of the first 72 hours for debate, any General Court Deputy may call for a vote on said legislation. The Speaker shall open a vote if there is no objection from the Court within 24 hours of the call for a vote. If a General Court Deputy objects to the motion within 24 hours, a vote shall be held on whether or not to proceed to a final vote, with a two thirds simple majority required for the objection to be overruled if the legislation has been on the floor for less than 240 hours; and a simple majority required if the legislation has been on the floor for more than 240 hours. The presentation of a call for a vote shall not impact the ability to dispose of existing amendments, in such cases the Court shall take votes on amendments followed by the final vote if such call for a vote is successful. However, new amendments may not be offered when a final vote motion is pending.

E. At the motion of the Speaker, the General Court may waive the 72 hour requirement by unanimous consent. Consent shall be granted should no Deputy object within 24 hours.

F. Votes on legislation shall last for 48 hours, or until the whole membership has voted, whichever comes first. Only votes cast within the exact 48 hours after the Speaker has opened the vote shall be valid. Any votes cast after the 48 hours has expired are to be considered invalid, and may not be counted by the Speaker. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread. A piece of proposed legislation shall pass if a simple majority of Deputies vote in favour of it (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes). The Speaker shall certify the results of any vote within 24 hours of the end of the voting period.

G. In the event that passed legislation is vetoed, any Deputy may introduce a motion to override within 72 hours. No debate shall be required. An override vote shall last 48 hours, or until all Deputies have voted, if earlier. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread.

H. In the event where all Deputies have missed a vote, the Presiding Officer may exercise one of two options: they may extend the vote for 24 hours (they may do so repeatedly), this shall not require consent to suspend the rules, or they may certify the vote as a failed vote, due to not receiving a single AYE vote. Whichever option the presiding officer chooses may be overridden if 2/3rd's of sitting Deputies objectby objection from a two-thirds absolute majority, in which case the presiding officer must choose the other option. If a sufficient amount of Deputies object to both options, the presiding officer may choose whichever option they desire.

I. In the event that a gubernatorial redraft is sent to the General Court, the Speaker shall open an immediate vote. No debate shall be required. The vote shall last 48 hours, or until all Deputies have voted, if earlier. This text shall not be interpreted as to deny Deputies the right to change their vote before the Speaker has officially closed voting via a post in the appropriate legislation thread.

J. Any Deputy may remove their sponsorship of a bill at any time. If no Deputy sponsors the bill within 24 hours, the bill shall be removed from the floor.

K. Should there be a case where a second is required to take action, it must occur on this forum and in the same thread as the thing being seconded. If a second is required for a vote to begin, the second required to begin the vote must be made before the vote can begin. A second must be explicitly stated as such.

Section 4: Final Business

A. The General Court shall be dissolved at the start of the general elections.

B. The "Final Business" period of the General Court shall commence 36 hours prior to dissolution of the General Court session and shall end at dissolution.

  i. At the start of Final Business, the Speaker shall declare in all pending legislative threads that Final Business has commenced and the session is nearing its end.

    a. At this time, the Speaker must no longer open new legislative threads.

    b. At this time, the General Court shall not consider new amendment proposals or votes.

   ii. All legislation on the floor of the General Court shall go to a final vote at the start of the final business period, unless either the sponsor of the legislation or an absolute majority of the General Court voices an objection to the vote. Such a vote shall close no later than the time of dissolution. Any legislation left incomplete at the end of a session shall be carried over to the next session.

Section 5: Role of the Speaker
A. The Speaker is the presiding officer of the General Court and is tasked with interpreting and enforcing the Standing Orders as prescribed in this act.

B. At the beginning of each term of the General Court, and at any time when the office is vacant, the first order of business shall be to elect the Speaker. Prior to the election of a Speaker, the most senior Deputy may serve as Acting Speaker for the purposes of electing a Speaker only. If such individual is not available, the Governor may act as Speaker. If the Governor is also unavailable, the next most senior deputy shall preside, and so on and so forth until a deputy able to preside is found. Time served in the 10th Lincoln Council may be used to determine seniority in the 1st General Court.

C. The Presiding Officer shall begin with a nomination period, to last 24 hours, followed by a 48 hour vote between the nominated candidates. The vote may be certified early if all Deputies have voted. Votes may be changed until certification. Write in votes will be allowed. Late votes shall not be counted. The Speaker shall immediately assume office.

D. The General Court may, at any time, remove the Speaker by introducing legislation to do such. The motion shall take precedence over all other business before the Court, and shall only be open to debate at the discretion of the presiding officer. A 48 hour vote, according to the provisions of Section 3, may begin immediately. The Governor will designate a Deputy to preside in the place of the Speaker. The Legislation may designate the new Speaker, or a new one may be elected afterward as detailed above.

Section 6: Rules Dispute

A. The Court may elect to suspend any section of these rules at any time with the consent of two-thirds of sitting Deputies. Such a vote may begin at any time, shall last for 48 hours, and shall not require any debate period beforehand.

B. The presiding officer may unilaterally suspend any section of these rules at any time, unless another Deputy objects. If a Deputy objects, suspending the rules shall require the consent of two-thirds of sitting Deputies.

--- Such objection must be raised within 24 hours. The presiding officer shall have the option to proceed with the effect of the suspension without waiting for an objection, and then turn back if an objection is raised within 24 hours, but if this option is taken, all action taken going back to the moment of the suspension becomes null and void if an objection is raised. The presiding officer may also elect to wait the full 24 hours before proceeding. The suspension must be announced in some form - there does not need to be any specific phrasing, but it must be made clear that some sort of action is being taken that one could stop or alter by the means of objecting within 24 hours.

C. If a Deputy believes that a given action is in violation of the rules, such a Deputy may raise a point of order. This can be done on the thread in which rules are being broken, or on a new thread the Deputy may create. The Presiding Officer shall immediately rule on the point of order. If the point of order is upheld, all action objected to by the point of order shall be null and void. Any Deputy may appeal the ruling within 24 hours by calling for an immediate vote on it. The Question shall be "Shall the Decision of the Officer stand as the judgment of the Court?" Such a vote will last 48 hours and serve as the final disposition of the point of order.

D. Questions or Disputes regarding the General Court Rules shall not be within the purview of the Lincoln Court or the Supreme Court, unless the Presiding Officer is refusing to recognize the existence of a point of order, in which case the courtjudiciary shall be limited to the ability to compel the Presiding Officer to proceed with handling the point of order and any related appeal. However, in this case, the authority of the court judiciary to hear the case ends the moment the Presiding Officer complies with their duties relevant to the point of order, even if such compliance comes during legal proceedings.

E. The text known as the "Lincoln Council Errata" is hereby repealed in its entirety.
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« Reply #20 on: May 03, 2021, 08:28:14 PM »

No objection arising, the manager's amendment is adopted (OP updated), and we will proceed to a vote on the rules.

AYE
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« Reply #21 on: May 03, 2021, 09:01:22 PM »

Aye
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Leinad
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« Reply #22 on: May 03, 2021, 11:01:53 PM »

AYE
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JoeInator
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« Reply #23 on: May 03, 2021, 11:07:12 PM »

Aye
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SN2903
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« Reply #24 on: May 04, 2021, 12:23:09 AM »

Aye
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